Telegraph-sounder.



PATENTED JULY 21,1903.

I J. G. BARCLAY.

TELEGRAPH SOUN -v I'ILE APPLICATION nun. o3.

AffomvM 35 sounder.

45 ary practice.

UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903.

JOHN C. BARCLAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y;

TELEGRAPH-SQU NDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters ratelifi N0. 73 1,453, dated July21, 1903.

Application filed March 24, 1903. serial No. 149,271. (No model.)

York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTelegraph-Sounders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a'full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in telegraph-sounders, andparticularly to that type of sounders known as box-relays,

I 5 which are intended to be used in the mainline circuit.

My invention consists in the novel construction oftheresonance-box,wherebythe quality of the sound is improved and theadjustment of the instrument facilitated.

The objects of my invention are to improve the quality of the signalsproduced by boxrelays and similar sounders, to make the sound producedthereby sharp and distinc- 2 5 tive, to facilitate the adjustment of themagnets and the removal thereof, and to make the instrument simple,compact, sensitive, and neat in appearance.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings and willthen point out the novel features inclaims. 7

In the said drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my improved boxrelay or section of the instrument.

View of th'e'instru'ment. Fig. 4 shows a front of the magnet which maybe employed.-

It is frequently desirable in telegraph-work to locate a sounder in themain line and not in a secondary local circuit, as is the custom- By sodoing the use of a main line relay in addition to the sounder and thelocal circuit and its'battery-cells is avoided, and this amounts in theaggregate to a very Fig. 2 shows a central longitudinal Fig. 3 shows arear great saving in expense-both in first cost and in maintenance.Main-line sounders heretofore used have been in substance large andheavy main-line relays, which, because of the weightof-their movingparts, are sluggish. These large and heavy in ain-line sounders are alsoexpensive.

In order to use the ordinary main-line relay as a sounder, its magnethas been 'inclosed in a resonance-box completely surrounding the magnet,resting at the bottom on the wooden base of the instrument, and carryingat one end the anvil, with which the armature coacts, and at the otherend carrying a bearingpiece for the magnet-adjusting screw; but thequality of sound produced by such instruments known as box-relays hasnot been such that such instruments could be used to any considerableextent as main-line sounders. Moreover, it is somewhat diflicult to reasis necessary occasionally, since the magnets can only be removed byremoving the resonance-box.

I have discovered that by making the resonance-box relatively shallow,so that it incloses a portion only of the magnet, by causing the box torestupon the wooden base of the instrument at certain points only, byproviding suitable sound-holes, and preferably by making theresonance-box, except that end thereof which carries the anvil, ofmetal, the saidend being'of wood, the quality of the signals produced bythe instrument is much improved,-'and it is possible to usesuchiinstrument successfully as a main-line sounder without usingmagnets which are larger than those of the ordinary'maimline relay.

- Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the instrument there showncomprises the usual wooden base 1,-magnet 2, adjusting-post 3, adjusting-screw 4:, secured to the rear yoke of the magnet, adjusting-spring 5, and knurled head or nut 6 on the screw. It

armature 8 pivoted thereto. This armature is of somewhat heavierconstruction than the armature of an ordinary main-line relay in movethe magnets from such an instrument,

also comprises .a trunnion-bracket 7 and an order to adapt theinstrument for use as a sounder. The instrument is also provided withthe usual post 9, carrying the springadjusting bar 10 and a screw 11 foradjusting the retractile spring. (Not shown.)

The resonance-box, in which my invention particularly resides, comprisesa box-frame 12, preferably of metal, covering and inclosing the magnetfor about one-half of its length. The front of this box is a woodendiaphragm 13, secured to the box-frame 12 at its corners and carryingthe anvil 14,which the armature 8 is arranged to strike. This diaphragmalso carries the bracket 15 for the back-stop 16 of the instrument. Thebox-frame 12 rests on the wooden base 1 at its corners only, beingprovided with openings 17 at the sides and back, which in addition toconfining the contact between said frame and the base to the cornersonly serve as sound-holes. The diaphragm 13 is provided with a similaropening 18 at its bottom, so that it rests against the base at thecorners only. The openings in the back of the box through which thecoils of the magnet pass are slightly larger than the coils, therebypermitting free vibra tion and escape of the sound-waves. The cores 20of the magnet project through openings in the diaphragm 13 and aresupported by said diaphragm. A stop-shoulder 2t on screw 4 is providedto limit the forward motion of the magnet. The pivotal point of thearmature is such that when the magnet is in contact with its stop andthearmature is in contact with its front stop said armature is vertical andin close proximity to but not in contact with the poles of the magnet.This resonance box may be considered to be a drum, of which thebox-frame 12 is the barrel and the diaphragm 13 the head. Because of theway this diaphragm is secured to the boxframe it is as free to vibrateas is a drumhead. Because of this, because the said diaphragm and thebox itself rest on the base at the corners only, because ample openingsare provided for the escape of the sound-waves, and also probablybecause the resonance-box is relatively shallow as compared with theboxes of box-relays heretofore used, since it incloses a portion only ofthe magnet, the signals produced by this instrument are very clear andsharp and are quite loud. This makes it possible to use magnets of thesame size and resistance as ordinary main-line relays and to make theinstrument itself in size and general construction similar to ordinarymain-line relays. In addition to serving as a sounder this instrumentmay serve as a relay, the anvil 14 forming a front contact and, tifdesired, the rear stop 16 being also a conact.

To remove the magnet, it is not necessary to remove the box, as informer box-relays. Instead the screw holding the post 3 in place isunscrewed and said post lifted. The magnet may then be withdrawn withoutdifliculty.

In Fig. 5 I show another construction for limiting the motion of thearmature, which may be employed in lieu of that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.The adjusting-post 3 carries a stop-pin 22, working in a slot 23 inscrew 4. When the end of the slot comes into contact with this stop, themotion of the pin will be checked.

It is obvious that my invention is susceptible of various modificationsin form and construction of the resonance-box, and I do not limit myselfto the particular form of instrument illustrated and described. 1

In the following claims the term relay is used in a generic sense.

In another application for Letters Patent, filed March 24, 1903, SerialNo. 149,270, I have claimed the use of a stop for limiting the motion ofa relay-magnet, so as to avoid contact of the magnet with the armature.

What I claim is 1. In a relay, the combination with a magnet and anarmature therefor, of aresonancebox surrounding and inclosing that endof the magnet nearest the armature, the opposite end of the magnetprojecting from the box, an anvil carried by the resonance-box, and anarmature-stop.

2. In a relay, the combination with a magnet and an armature therefor,of a resonancebox surrounding and inclosing that end of the magnetnearest the armature, the opposite end of the magnet projecting from thebox, an anvil carried by the resonance-box, and means located outside ofsaid box for moving the magnet toward and from its armature.

3. In a relay, the combination with a base, a magnet, an armature, anadjusting-screw secured to the magnet, an adjusting-post supported bythe base and supporting said screw, and means on said screw for movingthe magnet toward and from its armature, of a resonance-box surroundingand inclosing the end of the magnet nearest the armature, the other endof said magnet projecting from said box, an anvil carried by theresonance-box, and an armature-stop.

4. In a relay, the combination with a base, a magnet, and an armature,of a resonancebox comprising a metallic box-frame closed at one end by awooden diaphragm or vibrator arranged to be struck by said armature,said box supported by the base at certain points only and havingsound-openings between the points of support.

5. In a relay, the combination with a base, a magnet, and an armature,of a resonancebox comprising a metallic box-frame closed at one end by awooden diaphragm or vibrator, provided with an anvil arranged to bestruck by said armature, said box supported by the base at certainpoints only and-having sound-openings between the points of support.

6. In a relay, the combination with a mag- 5 net, and an armaturearranged to vibrate toward and away from the magnet, of anadjnstingpost, an adj ustingscrew passing therethrough and connected tothe magnet, for adjusting the position of the magnet with respect to itsarmature, and a nut, said screw IO provided with a fixed stop limitingthe motion of the magnet toward its armature.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN G. BARCLAY. Witnesses:

HARRY M. MARBLE, G. R. BENJAMIN.

